


Wyrmslayer and Cold Iron

by Hinganbachuru (Twilight_Joltik)



Category: Asagao Academy: Normal Boots Club
Genre: Asamon AU, Birthday present for my bestest friend~, Blind Platonic Dates, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Paul is salty and jelly, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-25
Updated: 2017-04-25
Packaged: 2018-10-23 17:14:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10723692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twilight_Joltik/pseuds/Hinganbachuru
Summary: Pokemon AU. Nick and Josh are trying to get Paul to take a break for once and attempt to set him up with someone to befriend.





	Wyrmslayer and Cold Iron

**Author's Note:**

> It's my wonderful friend Tomate's birthday! Please enjoy your present, friendo! 
> 
> Also please everyone check out Tomate's Asamon AU it's amazing http://captain-tomate.tumblr.com/post/158480572955/asamon-au

Paul huffed at his own reflection. For the love of Dialga, why couldn’t he just get himself put together? His tie was far from straight, and a few strands of hair refused to sit flat.

 

But, as always, Nick assured him he was fine. “You’re just meeting a friend!”, he pointed out. “No need to get all fancied up!”

 

“Oh, ‘a friend’, huh?” He put air quotes around the word. “Then why won’t you tell me who you’re making me meet up with?”

 

Josh seemed to be holding back a laugh. Paul just sighed.  “Y’know, the way you’re talking about it, it’s like you’re setting me up on a blind date.”

 

“Well, who knows!” Josh ruffled his hair a bit- right on the part that he’d been fighting so hard to get down. “Maybe it’ll lead to something! But seriously, you just need someone to talk to.”

 

He looked between Nick and Josh. “But I have you guys!”, he protested.

 

“Someone else,” Nick clarified. “You need someone else. Someone you don’t know as well. Someone who’ll give you something to do other than stress about everything you have to do.”

 

That was a fair point, but saying those words would sting his mouth too badly, so he bit them back. “Fine, are they here yet? I’d rather get this over with.”

 

“I think…” Nick checked his watch. “It was five, right?”

 

“Yeah, it should be time,” Josh affirmed, patting Paul on the back and shoving him out of his room. “Go get ‘em, Paulie!”

 

That old nickname made the back of his neck burn, but he tried to be confident. He was the youngest mayor Kigiku City had ever had, and the second youngest gym leader! He was the second most powerful gym leader in the league, he was a young prodigy, a master of dragons! What could he possibly have to fear from a silly little meet up?

 

“Oh, there you are.”

 

His blood ran cold. He knew that voice. Hell, most everyone in the region knew that voice!

 

The one person he really considered a rival was walking towards him, with a complacent smile that made his stomach squirm. Gorgeous and confident and everything he tried so hard to be, he seemed to have so naturally. Jeff Fabre always got under his skin; Nick and Josh knew that!

 

He was just so, loathe as he was to admit it, incredible! A top coordinator, the best gym leader in the region, and the heir to a wealth of lore of ancient Legends? Not to mention he  _ had  _ to use Fairy types of all things! It was like he was trying to piss Paul off specifically!

 

So, why had they asked him, of all the people in the world, to come over and befriend him?

 

But, he had to be polite, right? He was his guest, so he plastered a fake smile across his face. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

 

Jeff’s own face quickly fell into a frown, clearly sensing the swallowed back vitriol. “You… didn’t want me to come…”

 

Dear Palkia, he looked near tears! That was new; far from the shining star he saw on stage or the infuriatingly calm person he’d battled a few times. No, this was… human. 

 

Paul panicked and his own composure fell to the floor and shattered. “N-no! I just… I didn’t know it was you! You surprised me!”

 

That made it worse. Jeff bit his lip and looked away. “I- I’m so sorry… they just said you wanted someone to talk to, I th-thought since we’d talked before you might…”

 

“You’re fine!”, he insisted in a rush of words. “It’s nice to see you, I’ve just never seen you outside of a professional setting before!”

 

Putting a hand over his mouth to hide his still obvious frown, Jeff made a strange noise like a deflating balloon. “So we aren’t friends?”

 

“I…” He took a deep breath. He wasn’t getting anywhere dancing around it all. “I thought you saw me as a rival more than anything.”

 

A nod, to his shock. “Well, of course!”, Jeff exclaimed. “You’re the best Dragon trainer I’ve ever met; the only one who can give my Fairies a run for their money!”

 

His cheeks burned. “Best… Dragon trainer?”, he repeated. 

 

“By far!”, Jeff added. “You’re really amazing, so of course you’re my rival! But, that doesn’t mean you can’t be my friend too!”

 

Without all the pretence, he seemed so sincere. Sweet, almost. 

 

Paul sighed and extended a hand to him. “Alright, friends, then.”

 

He was pulled into a tight hug. “Oh, wonderful! So, friend, what are you doing today?”

 

What had he gotten himself into? He laughed sheepishly. “Uh, Nick and Josh made my clear my schedule, actually.”

 

“Alright! So, what do you wanna do?” Jeff asked without letting go. He acted more like a Goomy than anything; overeager and clingy. Not quite as squishy, but still pleasantly warm and nice. 

 

It was hard to think; his cheeks were still burning red. “Um… W-we could battle?”

 

Battling. On their day off. Wow, that probably sounded stupid. “I- I mean, um, only if y-y-you like, want to!”, he quickly backpedaled

 

“Like”, really? By Rayquaza, he knew how to talk! He could speak in front of hundreds of people without breaking a sweat! So, why was he tongue tied now, of all times?

 

Even with his strange bout of clumsiness, Jeff nodded with an excited grin and finally let go of him. “I’d love to! You’re always so fun to fight!”

 

“A-alright!” So much stumbling, did Jeff really do that much to his mental state even now that he was definitely humanized? 

 

That had to be it. He was just intimidating!

 

But, as Jeff led him to the gym’s battlefield as if he didn’t know the layout of his own workplace and home by heart and sent his Dedenne out with a bright smile, Paul found himself staring. 

 

No wonder he was a Contest superstar, he was incredible to look at! His confidence and joy made him shine like stars. He couldn’t draw his eyes away.

 

Wryly, he thought of what Josh had said to him, about never being able to know if a meeting would lead to romance or not. But, he dismissed the thought. After all, who would be lucky enough to date someone so amazing?

 

(Underneath a starry sky months later, as a sweet kiss brushed across his lips, he got an answer to that question.)


End file.
